This program continues investigations on several aspects of the biology of aging cells and tissues. Certain aspects of biochemical and biomolecular processes which are age-dependent are being examined and include: a) vitamin K-dependent protein carboxylation and the synthesis of the bone protein, osteocalcin; b) osteocalcin and its relationships to the lipid-soluble vitamins in osteoporosis and other bone disorders; c) polyamine-dependent lysyl residue aminobutylation and hydroxylation and the synthesis of an 18,000 dalton hypusine-containing protein, which is a measure of cell proliferative capacity; d) lipoprotein metabolism and the aging process and the continued characterization of genes which code for certain apolipoproteins; e) the design and use of certain vital reagents which are based on special chemical features found in organoboron and aromatic quaterary compounds and use fluorescence and boron-NMR techniques.